DELAWARE, OHIO – Rebecca A. Deatsman, a senior at Ohio Wesleyan University, is one of 22 environmental science and engineering students statewide to earn a scholarship through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Fund.

In announcing the awards, Ohio EPA Director Chris Koleski said: “These scholarships encourage exemplary students to consider careers in technical fields such as environmental science and engineering. These fields not only offer many job opportunities, but are critical training areas for Ohioans to cultivate a strong work force that can advance environmental technology fields and help build Ohio’s economy.”

Deatsman, a zoology and environmental studies major from Tempe, Ariz., said the $2,500 scholarship will allow her to travel to Costa Rica as part of an honors course on tropical biology. When she returns to Ohio Wesleyan for fall classes, she will conduct research on invasive plants with Laurel J. Anderson, Ph.D., an Ohio Wesleyan associate professor of botany/microbiology.

Deatsman also will serve as co-president of the university’s Women in Science club and work on the university’s Sagan National Colloquium program, which will examine “Cultivating a Greener Campus.”

After graduation, Deatsman plans to attend graduate school to study conservation biology or wildlife management.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 47 states and 50 countries. Visit www.owu.edu for more information.